Sales & Customer Success Startup (1-50 employees)

Chief Revenue Officer at Startup

Leads all revenue-generating functions—sales, marketing, and customer success—with direct accountability for business growth.

In LATAM startups, the Sales Manager is often also the first AE

The ability to sell without an operating marketing function is a key differentiator

High emotional stability is critical: rejection is constant and without structured coaching

Generic profile SMB (51-200 employees) Enterprise (201-1000 employees) Global (1001+ employees)

Ideal OCEAN+ Profile

Ideal range

Openness

80 98

At startups (1-50 employees), openness to trying new channels and sales strategies

Conscientiousness

67 82

At startups (1-50 employees), discipline in pipeline management and follow-up

Extraversion

84 100

At startups (1-50 employees), the energy to build relationships and close deals

Agreeableness

47 64

At startups (1-50 employees), the balance between assertive persuasion and active listening

Emotional Stability

87 100

At startups (1-50 employees), resilience in the face of constant rejection and long sales cycles

Structure & Rhythm

47 65

At startups (1-50 employees), building long-term relationships with clients

Strengths and Red Flags

Strengths

Integration of sales, marketing, and customer success into a unified revenue engine
Setting pricing, product, and market strategy at the executive level
Closing deals without a recognized brand, selling vision and potential rather than a finished product
Building the sales process from scratch: ICP, pitch, playbook, and initial metrics

Red Flags

Manages functions in silos without real revenue integration
Prioritizes short-term results at the expense of long-term pipeline health
Depends on a recognized brand and polished marketing materials to sell
Needs hierarchical approval for every discount or contract exception

Interview Questions

How did you integrate sales, marketing, and customer success into a cohesive revenue engine? What friction did you encounter and how did you resolve it?

Evaluates: Systems thinking and cross-functional leadership

Describe a strategic pricing or business model decision you made. What data did you use, what risks did you weigh, and what was the outcome?

Evaluates: Openness and strategic accountability

Tell me about a deal you closed without a 100% finished product.

Evaluates: Tolerance for ambiguity and ability to sell vision

How did you build a sales process from scratch?

Evaluates: Ability to structure without prior resources